Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is gaining recognition as a significant talent pool in Silicon Valley, according to an extensive article published by the Wall Street Journal over the weekend. Leading U.S. venture capital investors are now seeking founders who served in this special unit of Military Intelligence, particularly in light of the overall decline in tech investments. Startups are struggling to raise funds, and venture capital investments have dropped to half of their peak in 2022.
The article highlights that Unit 8200 alumni, known for their expertise in cybersecurity and cyber warfare, have founded dozens of cybersecurity companies. At least five of these companies are publicly traded in the U.S., with a combined market value of around $160 billion. Other private companies founded by former Unit 8200 soldiers are worth billions more, and some have become influential venture capital investors and mentors.
The article mentions the company Wiz, whose CEO Assaf Rappaport (a graduate of Unit 81) nearly sold it to Google for $23 billion. Among the interviewees are Kobi Samboursky from Glilot Capital Partners, Yotam Segev from Cyera, Sanz Yashar, a co-founder of Zephron, and Yoav Regev, CEO of Sentra. Regev, who served in Unit 8200 until 2021, noted in the article that Unit 8200 members often joke that commanders should avoid interrupting the workers.
